Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Monday expressed strong protest against the total neglect of the state in the Union Budget presented by minister Arun Jaitely.
In a statement here, the chief minister said the state was looking forward to central assistance in the wake of the crisis in the agriculture sector.
The state’s expectation that the centre would set aside Rs 1,000 crore for rubber farmers, who are facing a huge crisis due to crash in prices, had not happened, he said and added that the allocation for Rubber Board had also been slashed.
While the state government had taken all steps, including identification of project land, the centre had failed to announce the promised All-India Institute of Medical Sciences. It also failed to declare Sabarimala as a national pilgrimage centre, he said.
Mr Chandy said the state was expecting assistance for the Gulf returnees, but this had not happened.
The chief minister expressed disappointment over the centre’s failure to accept the state government's request for announcing a special package for tribals in Wayanad district. “There is a remarkable reduction in the budget allocation for public sector units in the state,” he said.
